


From the Boys

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 17:27:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2436911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“She is absolutely, positively worth it, and Jack is rarely wrong.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	From the Boys

**Author's Note:**

> **A brief mention of timelines:** If Hotch was attacked by Foyet the night they returned from Canada I assume that was sometime in May just based on the airing of the episode. I’m going with them being rid of Foyet and Jack being reunited with his father before October 12 th, which we know is Emily’s birthday. True or untrue, that’s how I’m writing it. 

“We’re here, kiddo.”

 

Hotch pulled his Chevy Silverado into a parking space and cut the engine. He got out, then went around to let four year old Jack out of his booster seat in the back. Holding out his arms, Hotch let his son jump into them. Then he smiled and spun him around. Jack giggled wildly. God, he loved the sound of his son’s giggle. 

 

There had been a time when he never thought he would hear it again. Those times were over and Jack was home where he belonged. Hotch was downright ecstatic. He saw him as often as possible and made work more flexible to do that. Neither knew how long that was going to last but they were both happy with the result. Hotch put his son on the ground, crouching down to fix his rumpled Nats jacket.

 

“You know why we’re here right, Jack.”

 

“Mmm hmm.” He nodded.

 

“Tell me.”

 

“To buy a birthday gift for Emily.”

 

“What kind of gift do we want to get?” Hotch asked.

 

“The bestest gift ever.”

 

“Exactly. Do you know what getting the bestest gift ever means?”

 

“I'm not sure.”

 

“That’s OK. It means we have to concentrate really hard on Emily so we’re not going to be able to stop and look at every toy or game that might interest Jack. You understand?”

 

“I think so.” Jack nodded.

 

“It’s really important that we get a great gift. Do you know why?”

 

“Because Emily puts up with you.”

 

Hotch couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He rustled his son’s sandy hair and kissed his forehead. Standing up, Hotch took his hand and they walked across the parking lot of the Chevy Chase Mall. It was Saturday afternoon in early October; the mall was packed. It wasn’t quite Christmas season, the Halloween stores were still selling, but it was close enough. Hotch hated the mall. Emily was surely worth it though.

 

“Daddy?”

 

“Yeah, Jack Jack?”

 

“After we buy Emily’s gift do you think maybe then we can look at toys and stuff? If I'm good?”

 

“You're always good, Jack. I think a trip to the toy store will be a nice end to a successful mission.”

 

“Me too.” Jack grinned.

 

“But only if we’re successful.”

 

“OK.” He bounced on the balls of his feet.

 

Hotch knew they would be. Jack adored Emily and the extra added bonus of being able to run through Toys R Us unleashed would only help his father’s cause.

 

***

 

“I can't choose.” Jack said. His face was pressed up against the glass but the sales assistant thought he was so adorable she didn’t bother with him. She just smiled at his father.

 

“Alright.” Hotch replied. “Can we get a closer look at that one and…which one, Jack?”

 

“That one.” Jack pointed toward the back.

 

“Sure.” She pulled the two pieces from the display case and sat them on the counter.

 

Hotch picked Jack up in his arms and they looked them over closely.

 

“We should get them both.” The four year old said with authority.

 

“Whoa kiddo, that might be very expensive.”

 

“That’s OK, Daddy, Emily likes expensive stuff.”

 

“Yes, she does.” Hotch laughed. “That’s not exactly what I meant but I guess it doesn’t really matter.” He looked at the sales assistant. “What do you think?”

 

“Well, they are both exquisite…lovely pieces. What I really think is that either one you choose, Emily is quite lucky to have two men like you in her life.”

 

“We’re lucky too.” Jack replied.

 

“I'm sure.” She smiled.

 

“I’ll take them both.” Hotch said.

 

“Are you quite sure, sir?”

 

“She is absolutely, positively worth it, and Jack is rarely wrong.”

 

“Would you like them in gift boxes?”

 

“Yes.” He nodded. “Actually, do you do engraving?”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

“I want this one,” Hotch pointed to the one Jack picked out. “To say ‘from the boys’.”

 

“Oh that’s lovely. I’ll just wrap the other and you can pick it up on Tuesday afternoon. Shall I leave them both for you to pick up at once?”

 

Hotch nodded. He put Jack back on the floor and took his wallet from his back pocket. Handing over the platinum MasterCard, Hotch smiled at his son.

 

“I think this calls for the toy store and some cheeseburgers.” He said.

 

“OK!” Jack could hardly contain his excitement.

 

***

 

Emily curled up on the couch, a Fordham University blanket over her legs, immersed in a Laurell K. Hamilton novel. It had been so long since she’d read anything…the fantasy world of supernatural suspense was just what she needed. She could hear Hotch and Jack in the kitchen as she read. They talked and laughed while preparing the perfect birthday dinner. Today had been all about Emily but it was really the culmination of the most amazing weekend of recent memory.

 

_Both Hotch and Emily left Quantico at one on Friday afternoon. Despite what anyone was thinking, the profiler couple had a short conversation in the parking lot and went their separate ways. Hotch was heading to Jack’s school to pick him up for the long weekend. Emily was going to meet her stepmother and sister for a girls day. They started with massages, manicures, and a healthy lunch at Isis. It was Emily’s favorite day spa; she enjoyed being able to relax._

 

_After a couple of hours of relaxation, shopping came next. There were few who could challenge the Prentiss women when it came to retail therapy. They talked, laughed, and spent for the rest of the afternoon. Emily joked that she would never find time to wear some of the lovely clothes she purchased. She was at work most of the time and didn’t wear that kind of thing in the field._

 

_The evening ended with a dinner reservation at Equinox. There was a birthday cake; Emily was sure she’d eat enough of that this weekend to last a lifetime. She ate it anyway and had such an amazing time. It was hard to part with Natalie and Julia when the car pulled up to Hotch’s place. She was consoled knowing they would be together the day after tomorrow for a family birthday dinner. She used her key to get into Hotch’s place, dropping her bags near the front closet and getting out of her coat. The weather was chillier than usual for early October._

 

_“Emily!”_

 

_She was surprised to see the four year old, barefoot in Batman pajamas, heading right for her. Scooping him up in her arms, Emily spun around and covered Jack in kisses. They both laughed; the gleeful sound brought a big grin to Hotch’s face._

 

_“Hey Jack Jack!” What are you still doing up?” It was just after nine, an hour past his usual bedtime._

 

_“I wanted to see you. Daddy and I watched Scooby Doo.”_

 

_“I was getting ready to put him down.” Hotch said, leaning to kiss her cheek. “You made it just in time.”_

 

_“I want Emily to tuck me in.” Jack said._

 

_“Off we go. Let’s play helicopter!”_

 

_Jack made noise like the blades and he and Emily “flew” into his bedroom and into bed. Hotch followed, watching his son snuggle up with Constable Bear._

 

_“What story do you want tonight, Jack?” he asked._

_  
“I'm sleepy, Daddy. Can we just do two tomorrow?” Jack asked._

 

_“We’ll definitely do two tomorrow.” Hotch promised._

 

_“Why were you gone so long, Emily?” Jack asked._

 

_“I went out with my Mom and sister. They wanted to do something special for my birthday.”_

 

_“Like what?”_

 

_“I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. Right now, its bedtime.” Emily pulled the covers up, tucking them on both sides. Hotch made sure Jack’s nightlight was plugged in and turned on._

 

_“Can I go out with your Mommy and sister too, Emily?” Jack asked before yawning. “Daddy said they want to see me.”_

 

_“They want to meet you,” Hotch corrected. “We’re all going out on Sunday.”_

 

_“I gotta go home Sunday.” Jack replied._

 

_“Not this weekend.” Emily replied. “Monday is a special day. Do you remember why it’s special?”_

 

_“No school!” Jack exclaimed._

 

_“Exactly.” She smiled. “And what do you get on days with no school, Jack?”_

 

_“An extra day with Daddy!”_

 

_“That’s right.” Hotch kissed his forehead. “Get some sleep, kiddo. I love you.”_

 

_“I love you too, Daddy. I love you, Emily.”_

 

_“I love you too, Jack.” She kissed him. “Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite.”_

 

_Hotch and Emily turned out the light, walking out of the room with their arms around each other. Standing in the living room, Hotch kissed her passionately. He surely wasn’t able to do that when they parted ways in the parking lot earlier that afternoon._

 

_“Did you have a good time today?” he asked, still holding her close._

 

_“I really did.” Emily melted in his embrace. “I just want this weekend to be perfect.”_

 

_“It will be, baby, I promise.”_

 

_“We deserve it.”_

 

_“Yes, we do.” Hotch kissed her nose. “And we’ll get it.”_

 

_On Saturday they slept in and spent the whole day with Jack. There was brunch and then an afternoon in the park. Emily had such a good time with them; it was hard not to yearn for children of her own. Was Hotch really the one? It was hard not to think so rolling around in the grass, playing on swings, and kicking around a soccer ball._

 

_He pushed everything aside to give her the perfect weekend. Nothing had been easy lately so with Jack back in their lives there was certainly cause for celebration. The little boy had no idea of the true nature of his time away but he relished being back with his father and Emily. Hotch noticed the two of them seemed even closer than before and that made him happy. She was going to be an amazing mother one day; he couldn’t wait to share that experience with her. Instead he shared more ice cream, cake, and laughter. There was hopefully time left for everything else._

 

_Jack jumped in bed with the couple on Sunday morning, waking them._

 

_“I want pancakes for breakfast.” He said, climbing all over the bed. He accidentally gave Emily a healthy poke in the bladder with his knee while scooting under the covers._

 

_“It’s a little early, buddy.” Hotch said drowsily, pulling him close._

 

_Emily was out of bed and in the bathroom after that blow. Climbing back into bed with them, she snuggled close to Jack, who cuddled with his father._

 

_“What are we going to do then?” Jack asked, looking from his father to Emily and back again._

 

_“I think we should get some extra sleep.” Emily replied. “Its going to be a long day…we should be well-rested.”_

 

_“What does well-rested mean?”_

 

_“It means getting enough sleep.” Hotch said._

 

_“I wanna stay and get enough sleep too.” Jack decided. “Then I want to have pancakes.”_

 

_Emily smiled. She kissed Hotch and Jack and then the three of them cuddled in the large bed for more sleep. It was the perfect moment; she never wanted it to end. A rainy morning in with two of her favorite people in the world was everything Emily desired. She almost couldn’t believe that this happiness was truly hers and held onto tight to it with both hands._

 

_After a late breakfast in bed with some cartoons, the three of them spent the day with Emily’s family. It took less than an instant for Gregory, Natalie, and Julia Prentiss to fall head over heels for John Bradshaw Hotchner. He liked them as well. He had a blast running all over museums and galleries with Gregory and Hotch. He got to help with dinner in the Prentiss’ Chevy Chase kitchen. By the time they drove home late in the evening, Jack was asleep in the back seat. Emily glanced at him a few times in the rearview mirror._

 

_“He’s amazing.” She said._

 

_“That he is.” Hotch replied._

 

_“I would be alright if this weekend never ended. Yes, I know that’s not exactly practical but its how I feel.”_

 

_“I'm sure there’s more magnificence to come.”_

 

_“Do you know something I don’t?” Emily asked._

 

_“Yes, I do.” He nodded._

 

_“You should share with me. At least give me a little hint.”_

 

_“I don’t think I will…its more fun that way.”_

 

_“You have an evil streak, Aaron Hotchner.” Emily glanced at him before her eyes went back to the wet road._

 

_“I think you like that about me.”_

 

_“I think I love that about you.”_

 

_“I love you too, Em, so very much.”_

 

“Dinner’s ready!” Jack came running into the living room, standing in front of the couch where Emily was getting deeper into her book. “Are you hungry?”

 

“It smells so good, how could I not be?”

 

Jack took both her hands, pretending to pull her from the couch. They went into the kitchen where Hotch was setting the table. He poured wine for Emily and himself, white grape juice for Jack. Then he served up three healthy servings of spaghetti and meatballs.

 

“I made the meatballs.” Jack announced. “Mommy taught me how.”

 

“They're delicious.” Emily replied. 

 

“They make your hands messy.” He said.

 

“I'm sure they do.”

 

“I wanted to make them for your birthday, cuz they're yummy.”

 

Jack dominated most of the dinner conversation, which Hotch and Emily didn’t mind a bit. It was funny, people who didn’t know Jack well assumed him to be a shy, quiet little boy. He was really nothing of the kind. He loved to talk and laugh and never seemed to run out of conversation or questions. Yesterday with her father, Emily watched Jack go as if he’d been with Gregory Prentiss a million times.

 

Neither she nor Hotch ever saw him take to someone so easily and they were both very happy about it. So was Jack, even if he called Gregory ‘Sir’ the whole time. It made them all smile…he used Sir as if that were the former Ambassador’s first name. He was only mimicking his father, who still had trouble calling Gregory anything but. It was adorable when they both did it.

 

Emily wasn’t allowed to help clear the table tonight. She stayed and sipped her wine while Hotch and Jack tinkered around in the kitchen. They came back with a birthday cake; devils food with butter cream icing. There were 38 candles on it, which made Emily cringe. Hotch put it on the table in front of her and sat down in his chair. Jack climbed into her lap as they sang the birthday song.

 

_Happy birthday to you_

_Happy birthday to you_

_Happy birthday dear Emily_

_Happy birthday to you_

 

“Blow out the candles, Emily. But you gotta make a wish first.”

 

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to blow. It took two tries, and help from the guys, but all the candles finally flickered out.

 

“Yay!” Jack clapped. “That’s a lot of candles. How old are you, Emily?”

 

“No comment.” Emily shook her head and laughed.

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“It means it’s impolite to ask a lady her age.” Hotch replied.

 

“Oh, OK. Well Happy birthday! Let’s open presents now.”

 

“They're in the bedroom, buddy. You go and get them OK?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Jack hopped off Emily’s lap after she kissed the top of his head. She smiled at Hotch.

 

“I guess I'm lucky Jack can't count past twenty yet.” She said, pulling one of the candles out of the cake and eating the icing.

 

“Actually, he’s up to 50 now. I would have gone for one or just a three and an eight but blowing out the candles is part of the enchantment. Isn’t it?”

 

“I guess so.” She rolled her eyes but was grinning from ear to ear.

 

“Happy birthday Emily!” Jack ran back with a gift bag in his hands.

 

“Slow down, Jack, you don’t want to trip and break anything.” Hotch said.

 

He handed Emily the bag and this time climbed into his father’s lap.

 

“Open it.” He said.

 

Emily looked at Hotch and he nodded. She pulled one box out, opened it, and pulled out a glass ballerina. She did a plie on a pewter stand with a winding knob. Emily turned the knob and heard _The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy_. It made her smile.

 

“Oh my God, this is beautiful. Aaron…” she looked at him.

 

“Jack picked it out.” He told her.

 

“You like it right?” Jack asked.

 

“It’s amazing.” She gently put it back in the box. Taking Jack’s face in her hands, Emily kissed his cheeks. “I like it a whole lot.”

 

“I told you she would, Daddy.” Jack looked up at his father. “We got you one more thing. It’s in the bag too.”

 

Emily nodded and took out a much smaller box. Opening it, she pulled out an antique silver locket. She immediately saw the engraving on the round pendant, _from the boys_. Inside there was a picture of Hotch on one side and Jack on the other. They were both four years old in the pictures.

 

“I know how important it is to you to always have us close.” Hotch said. “Now you will.”

 

“I love it,” Emily was trying to hold back her tears. “I absolutely love it.”

 

“Let me put it on.”

 

They all stood and Hotch took the locket from her hands. He kissed the nape of her neck as Emily gently swept her hair aside. After the locket was secure, he kissed her neck again. Emily turned in his arms and kissed him. Seeing the two of them in a passionate embrace made Jack giggle.

 

“Kissing gives you cooties.” He said.

 

“Who told you that?” Emily asked, still holding onto his father.

 

“My friend Percy at school. He said girls want to give us cooties. That’s why I run from them.”

 

“That’s a good plan for the moment.” His father told him. “You'll know when you're ready to stop running. I think we should have some birthday cake. You want some cake, Jack?”

 

“Yeah.” he nodded, wearing a big grin. His dimples made him look just like his father.

 

***

 

“Can we just stay up all night?” Emily asked.

 

“Now you sound like Jack.” Hotch replied, laughing.

 

“I know but…I don’t want it to end.”

 

“All good things do, eventually.”

 

Emily pulled him close, inhaled the scent of him and exhaled. They were in bed now, midnight fast approaching. Tomorrow it was back to the BAU; back to reality. But this was real too, it felt so good…Emily didn’t want to let go.

 

“This weekend was amazing.” She whispered.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Hotch?”

 

“Hmm?” He nuzzled her neck and Emily sighed.

 

“I think I want it all.”

 

“I know you do, baby.”

 

“I feel it in the pit of my stomach right now. I don’t want to covet what’s not mine.”

 

Hotch nodded, gently kissing her lips. He told her before to just say when and he meant it. Was there really a need to repeat it? He might be a little apprehensive but Hotch still knew he wanted all the same things Emily did. She wanted a family, a white picket fence, and a personal life of quiet contentment. Yet there was still the side of her that needed to kick in doors, take down Unsubs, and bring some kind of peace and justice to those who had been victimized. It wasn’t exactly the best of both worlds but they had been and could continue to make it work.

 

“There is nothing wrong with loving Jack as much as you do. He makes it incredibly easy. When we start our family your feelings aren’t going to change.”

 

“When?”

 

“When.” Hotch kissed her lips.

 

Emily deepened the kiss, running her fingers through his hair. Hotch rolled them on the bed and rested his body between Emily’s open thighs. When she smiled at him, his heart filled with joy.

 

“I love you, Emily Prentiss.”

 

“I love you too.” She stroked his face.

 

“Just say when…I still mean that.”

 

“When.” Emily whispered.

 

“Now.”

 

***

                                                                                                                                                     

  
 


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